Accra Technical University to offer course in corrosion
Accra Technical University will collaborate with Corrosion Institute, Ghana, (CorrIGh), to run a short course in corrosion to sharpen the skills and knowledge of students to be competitive in the market.
Experts in corrosion have interest in controlling the impact of corrosion on assets life cycles, productivity and human life.
The course will give priority to students who had offered material or metallurgical engineering with Higher National Diploma or degrees from other Universities, and be specifically trained in a three-month course as professionals in Corrosion.
Prof. Amevi Akakpovi, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Accra Technical University, announced this on Tuesday at the launch of Corrosion Map of Ghana and Africa, in Accra, organized by the CorrIGh.
The Map is to create awareness on how corrosive the country’s current or proposed locations are, and help identify which construction and other material to recommend in putting up assets from the design phase.
“The drive is to train a lot of people to address the knowledge gap. We need to partner with the Institute to foster more training in the area. At Accra Technical University, especially at our Faculty of Engineering, we are collaborating with the Institute to make Corrosion a course on its own”.
Prof Akakpovi said the issue of corrosion has not been given the needed attention, because corrosion has been treated as a topic under different subjects, adding that, in many Engineering courses, especially Material Science, they offer subjects under which corrosion may be treated as a topic.
He stressed that there is a skill gap, where a huge amount of money has been wasted in the field of corrosion.
Mr Patrick Eshun, the President of CorrIGh, said the Institute was set up to undertake research, consultancy and training, to advocate for standards development and adoption to fill the knowledge and skills gap.
He expressed concern about the limited number of well-trained and experienced corrosion professionals, stressing that, only 20 per cent of qualified members are 40 years or younger and almost 50 per cent are 51 year and above.
Global research revealed that the cost of corrosion stands at $2.5 trillion per annum, representing three to four per cent of Gross Domestic Product of the world’s industrialized nations.
The President announced that the Institute is collaborating with Corrosion Institute of Southern Africa to organize corrosion training in Ghana to champion the research and build capacities in the field.
The Institute is also collaborating with Corrosion Organizations to build capacities in other areas, with the development of Parametric Insurance Framework for the Corrosion and insurance industries.
Mr Greg Combrink, President of the Corrosion Institute, South Africa, said corrosion should be treated with all seriousness, because it has adverse effects on the environment.
Mr Ebenezer Victor Owusu Addabor, the Chief Geotechnical Officer, CorrIGh, called for an integrated approach in managing corrosion, and urged industries and companies to focus on preventive measures to curb the menace.
Source: GNA